Worked at Well: The Stable Pump
by D. B. McCowan, P.Eng. (bmccowan@netrover.com)
An old wooden pump sitting in Bill McCowan’s (1923-2018) barn in Pickering probably came from the Robert McCowan (1855-1931) farm on Kingston Road in Scarborough (Lot 22, concession C, at McCowan Road.). The pump was likely stored for years above the old horse stable along with some barn beams and two fireplace mantles from the 1830s regency cottage which preceded the Harold McCowan (1888-1964) Queen Anne style brick farmhouse (built 1914).

After Heat-Treatment in the McCowan Kiln.
It is an unusual pump, shown to the left of the old 4×4 (which has nothing to do with the pump).

We dare not take it apart, just yet, to see what’s going on inside.
For example, where is the foot valve? More interesting is the construction at the top of the pump …

The wood is in pretty good condition, suggesting that the pump had been installed inside an out-building or, perhaps, in a barn, likely in the stable.
Alex McCowan (1853-1939) was a first cousin of Robert McCowan. We have Alex’ 1892 diary[1] which includes the following passages regarding his farm work – and “work at well” — at the present Eglinton Avenue and Warden (lot 32, about two and a half miles west of the Robert McCowan farm).
- Mar 15 Started to dig the well in stable. Got the brickets ironed off at shop, 75 cts. Got down 8 feet. Fine cold morning. Zero. Got a letter from William[1]. Answered it at night.
- Mar 16 Worked at well all day. Spurgeon helped to fix things and wheel dirt away. Got down 7 ft. Archibald Heron[2] and Mrs. were here at night.
- Mar 17 Worked at well again. Got down 6 feet today. Very little water. Sold a bag of oats to Bill Studman 90 cts. Went over to Bob’s at night. Hannah is sick in bed. Baby has a cold[3]. Got 800 bricks from D. Chapman.
- Mar 18 Jennie lying in stable this morning with her nigh hind leg broken. George[4] came over & shot her. Went up to J. Young’s. Brought Maggie down to Bob’s for baby. Hannah about the same. Maggie went up on train. George here in my place at well. Harris team (glue factory) came for Jennie. Got down about 5 ft.
- Mar 20 Went to church. Nice clear cold morning. Collection 25 cts. Went over to Bob’s to see how Hannah was. She was getting better again. Jon & H (Ashbridge, Hannah McCowan’s brother) were there. Hugh Clark’s buildings were burned last night with 7 horses, 2l cattle, sheep, pigs, hay, oats, barley, etc.
- Mar 21 3 ft of water in well this morning. Worked all day got down 3 feet, not a spring yet. Very hard. Got pick sharpened again, 10 cts at Hough’s. George started to pull down the old house. J. Sanderson was here to see about putting in a pump. Fine weather.
- Mar 23 Went & got drill made at James Ley’s, 16 ft. long, 2 1/2 point. Started to drill in afternoon. Got down 10 feet. No more water yet. Snowed some in afternoon. Got buggy shafts fixed at Jas Leys, 35cts. Got some beef from J. Young. 700 bricks.
- 24 Drilled again this forenoon, got down l6 ft. in all, no water yet. Got another l2 foot rod added to drill to start in morning. At committee meeting at church in afternoon. T. Ellis tender accepted for repairing church, $500. Fine day, snow, went very fast.
- Mar 25 Started to drill again. Got down 3 feet more, 19 in all. No spring yet. Bricked the well up. Took 15l0 bricks to do it. George was over and helped me.
- Mar 28 George & I went up to help Whitesides[5] load at Agincourt all day. Paid James Ley for fixing drill and having the use of it, 75 cts. Cut feed about half hour in morning at George’s.
- Mar 29 George & I back helping Whitesides to load. Got finished about 9 o’clock at night. Brought Maggie Marshall home from Agincourt . Got milk cooler[6], brought it home.
- Mar 30 Went to W. Hough’s sale in afternoon. Clerked for him. J. Sanderson brought the pump and put it in after sale. 12 ft of water in well.
- Mar 31 Cut down big poplar tree at road and went up for long ladder to Whiteside’s. Fixed well top in afternoon.
- Apr 1 Went out to Uncle Willie’s for Aunt Jane (Whiteside). Brought her to William Pattons.[7] Got home about 7 o’clock. Milk cheque came today. Fine spring day. 15 feet water in well this morning.
Why did Alex need the “long ladder”? Where exactly was the “well top”?
Just visible in the photograph below of Alex McCowan’s threshing in about 1902, is the bottom of the windmill frame sitting on top of Alex’s barn. The windmill was used to pump water from Alex’ 1892 well into the milk cooler (and for his dairy cattle to drink). Alex’ pump in the stable might have been similar to the pump shown in the photographs above.

Alexander McCowan (below far left with his young son David A.) retired from farming in 1905. Alex was Conservative MPP for East York riding, 1905-1913, and Sheriff of York County, 1913-1934. In the early 1890s Alex was one of the movers and shakers in the founding of institutions that would ensure the orderly marketing of milk aka “supply management”.
The author will welcome comments. Please send an email to bmccowan@netrover.com.
Further Reading (www.mccowan.org/publicat.htm):
–The McCowan Farm in the 1920s (by Bob McCowan, 1917-2018)
–We’re Not Here to Put in Time: Ramblings on a Scottish-Canadian Work Ethic (with Bill McCowan, 1923-2018)
–Well Taught the Value of a Shilling: Numeracy, Financial Literacy, Earning an Honest Living & Related Ramblings (With George Edward McCowan, 1922-2021)
[1] There is more from the Alex McCowan diary at http://mccowan.org/milk_producers.htm.
[2] Probably Alex’ brother, William, who farmed near Portage La Prairie in Manitoba.
[3] The Heron farm was south of Alex, at Warden and the present St. Clair. Herons were related to Alex’s late wife, Georgie Ashbridge.
[4] Alex’ wife, Georgie Ashbridge McCowan died Dec 3 1891 two weeks after the birth of their only daughter, Georgeanna Ruth Weir McCowan (1891-1967). Georgie’s sister Hannah and her husband, Robert McCowan, looked after Alex’ baby for a couple of months before the baby went to be cared for by Alex’ sister, Maggie, Mrs. John Young who farmed on the 14th of Markham township.
[5] George was Alex’ older brother who worked their father’s homestead, the next farm to the west.
[6] Jane Whiteside (1830-1911) was the youngest sister of Alex’ father, James Whiteford McCowan (1814-1897). Jane and her husband Thomas Whiteside were packing up to leave Scarborough for a dairy farm near Innerkip, Ontario.
[7] The milk cooler was probably a large vat almost 3 feet deep which would be filled with cold well water. The 8 gallon cans of milk would cool off a bit while waiting for pickup.
[8] Until her marriage in 1861, Aunt Jane Whiteside was the housekeeper for her mother and bachelor William Porteous McCowan, youngest brother of Alex’ father. Before moving off to Innerkip, she went to her mother’s old home on Lot 13 Concession 4 to retrieve some of her mother’s belongings, including old letters, bonnets, samplers and books. Jane’s niece, Margaret McCowan, married William Paton.